Arm wrestling apparatus

ABSTRACT

Game apparatus for signaling the winner of an arm wrestling match. The game apparatus has cups for receiving the contestants&#39;&#39; elbows, wrist bands to be worn by the contestants, scoring members to be placed at either side of the line of centers of the elbow cups against which a contestant, to win, must force his opponent&#39;&#39;s wrist band, and signaling devices for indicating contact of the contestants&#39;&#39; wrist bands with their respective scoring members.

United States Patent Jeffrey et al.

[ 51 Mar. 14, 1972 [54] ARM WRESTLING APPARATUS [72] Inventors: Lawrence W. Jeffrey, 19302 Greenhaven, Covina, Calif. 91722; Robert D. Jeffrey, 7121 Lowell Avenue, G1endora, Ca1if. 91740 22 Filed: Sept. 5, 1969 [21 Appl.N0.: 855,507

[52] US. Cl ..273/l E, 273/1 M, 272/D1G. 5 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 71/06 [58] Field ofSearch ..273/1,1E,1M,100,1F;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,884,248 4/1959 Tenney ..273/1 R 3,171,654 3/1965 Swanson ..273/l R 3,226,121 12/1965 Goldfarb ..273/1 E X 3,295,848 1/1967 Glass et al. ..273/l E 3,467,376 9/1969 Feinberg ..273/1 R 3,024,025 311962 Richardson et al. .273/100 X 3,529,822 9/1970 Rubin ..273/l F Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro AttorneyBoniard 1. Brown [57] ABSTRACT Game apparatus for signaling the winner of an arm wrestling match. The game apparatus has cups for receiving the contestants elbows, wrist bands to be worn by the contestants, scoring members to be placed at either side of the line of centers of the elbow cups against which a contestant, to win, must force his opponents wrist band, and signaling devices for indicating contact of the contestants wrist bands with their respective scoring members.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented March 14, 1972 3,649,010

mum/mp5 LAWRENCE WJEFFREY ATTORNEY ARM WRESTLING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to game apparatus and more particularly to game apparatus for aiding the game or sport commonly known as arm wrestling.

2. Prior Art Arm wrestling is a favorite game or sport which has been practiced throughout recorded history. A major reason for its popularity resides in the fact that overall body size and stature afford no advantage. Winning is dependent solely upon skill and practice. As a consequence, contestants of any relative size and stature may compete without undue advantage to the larger contestant.

The rules of arm wrestling require placement of the contestants wrestling arms in wrestling positions, wherein their elbows rest on a supporting surface with the elbows, forearms, and upper arms located substantially in a common vertical plane. The contestants hands are clasped. Each contestant seeks to press his opponents wrist or hand downwardly against the surface by rotating both his own forearm and that of his opponent about their respective elbows as centers. According to proper wrestling procedure, the contestants elbows must not be moved in any direction. This latter requirement presents a problem for the reason that each contestant inherently tends to shift his elbow in a direction to improve his leverage. Scoring also presents a problem since it is often difficult to determine with certainty when a contestants hand or wrist has been forced into scoring contact with the surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION .score. The raised configuration of these scoring members facilitates determination of scoring contact of a contestants wrist or hand with a member.

According to another feature of the invention, each scoring member is equipped with means for signaling scoring contact of a contestants hand or wrist with the member. In one disclosed inventive embodiment, for example, each contestant wears a wrist band to which the scoring members will adhere when the band is pressed against a member. Accordingly, adherence of a scoring member to a contestants wrist band indicates or signals scoring contact of his wrist with the scoring member. In another disclosed embodiment, each scoring member is equipped with an electrical signal device, such as a light or buzzer, which is energized by scoring contact of a contestants wrist with the member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of arm wrestling apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus showing the contestants wrestling arms in wrestling position on the apparatus; FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate modified arm wrestling apparatus according to the invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates further modified arm wrestling apparatus according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The arm wrestling apparatus 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings includes a pair of elbow cups 12 and a pair of scoring members 14. Each elbow cup 12 has an upper generally hemispherical recess 16 to cradle a contestants elbow and means 18 for retaining the cup in fixed position on a supporting surface 20. In the particular inventive embodiment illustrated, the retaining means 18 is a nonskid base surface on each elbow cup which resists slipping of the cup relative to the supporting surface 20. According to the preferred practice of the invention, the cups are injection molded from a suitable nonskid plastic.

In the particular embodiment under consideration, the scoring members 14 are simple rectangular scoring bars having raised scoring surfaces 22. These scoring bars are also provided with means 24 for retaining the bars in fixed position on the supporting surface 20. Preferably, these retaining means comprise nonskid base surfaces on the bars, like those on the elbow cups 12. In this case, the bars may be injection molded from plastic in the same manner as the elbow cups.

In use, the game apparatus is arranged in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The elbow cups 12 are placed on the supporting surface 20 with the proper spacing between the cups to enable the contestants wrestling arms 26 to assume their proper wrestling position of FIG. 2 when their elbows are cradled in the cup recesses 16. The. scoring members or bars 14 are placed on the surface 20 at opposite sides of the line of centers of the elbow cups. The bars are located in the proper positions relative to the cups for supplying contact of the contestants hands or wrists with the raised scoring surfaces 22 of the bars.

The actual arm wrestling game proceeds in the usual fashion, either contestant scoring when he succeeds in pressing his opponents wrist or hand against the corresponding scoring bar 14. These bars may be cushioned to prevent injury to the contestants.

As noted earlier, the elbow cups I2 constitute an important feature of the invention. Thus, these cups maintain the contestants elbows in proper wrestling relation with respect to one another and thereby prevent either contestant from gaining an advantage by shifting his elbow in such a way as to increase his leverage. Another feature is concerned with the raised configuration of the scoring bars 14. This raised configuration facilitates determination of scoring contact of a contestants hand or wrist with the scoring bar.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate modified arm wrestling apparatus including wrist bands 28 to be worn by the contestants and modified scoring bars 30. The wrist bands and scoring bars are provided with coacting means which cause the bars to adhere to the bands upon scoring contact of the bands with the bars. Adherence of a scoring bar to a contestants wrist band, therefore, signals or indicates scoring contact of his wrist with the scoring bar. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the coacting means comprise magnetic means including magnets 32 on the wrist bands and magnetically permeable plates 34 on the scoring bars.

FIG. 6 illustrates further modified arm wrestling apparatus equipped with electrical means 36 for signaling scoring contact of an opponents wrist with a scoring bar 38. These, electrical means comprise electrical signal devices 40, such as lights or buuers, within the scoring bars 38 which are energized by such scoring contact. Obviously, energizing of the signal devices in response to scoring contact may be accomplished in many different ways. In this particular instance, the wrestling apparatus includes wrist bands 42 to be worn by the contestants. The wrist bands include electrical contacts 44. The scoring bars 38 have hollow electrically conductive housings 46 to contain the signal device 40. Also mounted within the scoring bars are batteries 48. Each wrist band contact is connected to a scoring bar 38 through a wire 50. The corresponding signal device, battery, scoring bar housing, wire, and wrist contact are electrically connected in series in such a way that scoring engagement of an opponents wrist band contact with a scoring bar completes an electrical circuit through the corresponding signal device to energize the device for signaling a score.

We claim:

1. Arm wrestling apparatus comprising:

a pair of elbow cups having upwardly opening recesses to cradle the elbows of the contestants wrestling arms, and wrist bands to be worn by the contestants,

a pair of scoring members to be placed at opposite sides of 5 the line of centers of said elbow cups, and

signaling means including coacting means on each wrist band and a scoring member for signaling contact of each wrist band with its respective scoring member.

2. Arm wrestling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said coacting means on said wrist bands and scoring members comprise means for causing said members to adhere to the bands.

3. Arm wrestling apparatus according to claim 2 wherein:

said coacting means comprise magnetic means.

4. Arm wrestling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said signaling means comprise an electrical signal device for each wrist band and its scoring member, and said coacting means comprising means for energizing each signal device in response to scoring contact of the respective wrist band with its scoring member.

5. Arm wrestling apparatus according to claim 4 wherein:

said wrist bands include electrical contacts, said scoring members'include electrically conductive housings containing said signal devices and batteries for energizing said devices, and means electrically connecting the signal device, battery, and housing of each scoring member to its wrist band contact in a manner such that engagement of the contact with the housing energizes the corresponding signal device.

6. Arm wrestling apparatus to be used by two contestants in an arm wrestling game wherein the contestants supportelbows of corresponding arms on a horizontal surface with their hands clasped, comprising: 

1. Arm wrestling apparatus comprising: a pair of elbow cups having upwardly opening recesses to cradle the elbows of the contestants'' wrestling arms, and wrist bands to be worn by the contestants, a pair of scoring members to be placed at opposite sides of the line of centers of said elbow cups, and signaling means including coacting means on each wrist band and a scoring member for signaling contact of each wrist band with its respective scoring member.
 2. Arm wrestling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: said coacting means on said wrist bands and scoring members comprise means for causing said members to adhere to the bands.
 3. Arm wrestling apparatus according to claim 2 wherein: said coacting means comprise magnetic means.
 4. Arm wrestling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: said signaling means comprise an electrical signal device for each wrist band and its scoring member, and said coacting means comprising means for energizing each signal device in response to scoring contact of the respective wrist band with its scoring member.
 5. Arm wrestling apparatus according to claim 4 wherein: said wrist bands include electrical contacts, said scoring members include electrically conductive housings containing said signal devices and batteries for energizing said devices, and means electrically connecting the signal device, battery, and housing of each scoring member to its wrist band contact in a manner such that engagement of the contact with the housing energizes the corresponding signal device.
 6. Arm wrestling apparatus to be used by two contestants in an arm wrestling game wherein the contestants support elbows of corresponding arms on a horizontal surface with their hands clasped, comprising: a pair of adjustable annular flexible wrist bands to be worn about the contestants'' wrists and adjustable in diameter to fit a range of wrist sizes, a pair of scoring members having bottom sides to be placed on said horizontal surface at opposite sides of the line of centers between the contestants'' elbows and opposite top sides, and signaling means including coacting means on each wrist band and the top side of a scoring member for signaling contact of each wrist band with its respective scoring member. 